Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Tuesday heard testimony on SB449 – a bill to prohibit discrimination against transgender and gender-nonconforming people in Maryland in the areas of employment, credit, housing and public accommodations – as proponents and opponents of the measure aimed their testimony at certain senators who may be key in determining whether the bill advances to the Senate floor for a vote by the full chamber.

Throughout the testimony, witnesses on both sides addressed specific senators on the committee, often noting that they were constituents. Many witnesses supporting the bill pointed out that eight of the committee's 11 members already live in Maryland jurisdictions that have expansive nondiscrimination protections for transgender people.

Dr. Dana Beyer, the executive director of Gender Rights Maryland, a primary organizational backer of the bill, testified about the political shift that has happened in recent years regarding the public's feelings toward LGBT people. Quoting President Barack Obama's inaugural speech and Vice President Joe Biden's statement that transgender discrimination is ''the civil rights issue of our time,'' Beyer laid out arguments for why legislators should approve the bill. She also referenced a 2011 decision by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals – which covers Alabama, Florida and Georgia – that found that transgender discrimination is sex-based discrimination.

Behind Beyer, supporters of SB449 filled the audience, many of them dressed in purple to show solidarity and demonstrate their support for the measure. Several wore stickers reading, ''Now is Our Time!''

Out gay Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery Co.), one of the bill's chief cosponsors, does not sit on the Judicial Proceedings Committee, but testified in favor of SB449, as did Del. Peter Murphy (D-Charles Co.), another member of the General Assembly's LGBT Caucus.

In his testimony, Madaleno specifically singled out Sen. Norman Stone (D-Baltimore Co.), who has historically been an opponent of LGBT rights, telling Stone that the bill's supporters were not asking for anything other than protections similar to those that Stone's constituents currently enjoy at the county level. Several other witnesses testifying in favor of the bill noted that they lived in Essex or Dundalk, two major cities in Stone's district, which includes blue-collar neighborhoods on the southeastern edge of Baltimore.

The other senator to whom several comments were directed was Sen. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's Co.), thought to be one of the committee's crucial swing votes. Muse, a newcomer to the committee, replaced Sen. Victor Ramirez (D-Prince George's Co.), who has been reassigned to the Finance Committee. Ramirez, a supporter of LGBT rights, is one of the bill's 23 cosponsors.

In 2011, Ramirez and Sen. James Brochin (D-Baltimore Co.) voted to move a gender-identity bill that did not include public accommodations to the floor in a 7-4 vote, but Brochin had also offered an amendment to exclude housing from the list of protections. That amendment failed, 5-6.

In 2012, when faced with a more comprehensive bill, Brochin again expressed reticence, but turning his focus away from housing to public accommodations, specifically public restrooms. With Ramirez gone, the 11-member committee now has five senators who voted for the 2011 bill and against the Brochin amendment.

The bill needs the support of six senators to move out of committee, meaning Muse could be crucial to passage if Brochin votes with Stone and the committee's three Republicans, all four of whom opposed the 2011 bill. Muse was one of only four senators on the committee to stay through the entire hearing, and actively participated, asking questions from those who testified in order to clarify his understanding of the bill and the witnesses' arguments for and against it.

Madaleno told Metro Weekly after the hearing that he felt many of the witnesses backing the bill had directed their testimony toward Muse for that reason. Madaleno commended Muse for being so engaged in the hearing, sticking it out until its end, around 8:30 p.m.

Supporters of the bill relied heavily on testimony from transgender residents and their family and friends, who told personal stories of how gender-identity discrimination had hurt them.

''This isn't about sexuality, this isn't about who you like, it's about I'm a human,'' said Lauren Stokling, a transgender woman who recounted being discriminated against in her job, arguing that job security shouldn't be based on the whims of a prejudiced supervisor. ''I'm a human who pays taxes, who works, just like everybody in this room, and just because somebody wakes up one day and decides they don't like what I look like, or what I stand for, it shouldn't be a day-to-day situation, particularly when they get away with it.''

Supporters also attempted to preempt opponents' arguments, with Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery Co.), the bill's other chief cosponsor, warning his colleagues that they would hear ''extravagant hypotheticals'' from opponents aimed at shocking or repulsing committee members to get them to defeat the bill.

The bill's opponents largely focused on three major arguments: that being transgender is something to be ''cured'' with therapy; that allowing transgender people access to public accommodations will put women and children at risk in public restrooms or locker rooms; and that the bill does not offer enough explicit religious exemptions to allow businesses, schools or individuals not directly associated with churches or religious institutions to openly discriminate.

''The definition [of transgender] includes cross-dressers as well as transgenders, because it's behavior and expression,'' said Ruth Jacobs, a conservative activist from Montgomery County who was involved with the failed attempt to repeal that county's gender-identity nondiscrimination law, which passed in 2007. ''There are about 3 percent cross-dressers. Those people are protected under the law. Those are the people … [that do] exposures in bathroom stalls, masturbating and so forth.''

''We don't want to bring these issues up,'' Jacobs continued. ''They make us look funny, because no one believes somebody would do it. But everyone says 'You have not seen these episodes anywhere.' What we've noticed is there seem to be more of these things, if you do a thorough Internet search, than there were when you started. This whole process has degraded and violated the respect for women and their privacy.''

Following the hearing, Madaleno and Carrie Evans, the executive director of Equality Maryland, the state's primary LGBT-advocacy organization, both told Metro Weekly they were confident of the quality of testimony that the bill's backers had provided to the committee, with Madaleno saying he felt ''good'' about the bill's chances.

''I thought our side had compelling, moving stories from transgender people across the state,'' Madaleno said. ''I think the other side had fear and their tired arguments that they have used before. I thought we did a fine job of going through and trying to debunk all of their myths.''

Evans said that including the personal stories as part of testimony has proven effective in the past.

''We learned that in the marriage fight,'' she said. ''When we changed hearts and minds of legislators, and we asked them why, it was the stories. It was people standing before them, with stories, who live here in Maryland. And it's no different for transgender realities. It's not abstract to them. It's real people with real stories … to show why they need to pass this law.''

Evans also was critical of the bill's opponents, noting they were outnumbered. In all, fewer than 10 people testified against the bill, while about 25 people testified in favor.

''Every year, they bring out the hypotheticals and misrepresent legal cases that haven't happened, or have the facts entirely wrong,'' Evans said. ''They have a few individuals – you saw the strength of our testimony, and the breadth of it – and they have the same handful of five or six folks who come out and who don't even make much sense sometimes. We think we're going to get this out of Judicial Proceedings this week, and get it to the floor, and get it to the House.''

The committee is expected to vote on SB449 within the next week. If it passes, it will go to the Senate floor for a vote. Senate President Thomas V. ''Mike'' Miller (D) has previously indicated that he is open to allowing a vote if supporters of a particular bill – whether gun control, the repeal of the death penalty, or transgender rights – can show they have the votes necessary for passage. If the bill passes the Senate, it heads to the House of Delegates.

In 2011, the gender-identity bill that failed in the Senate passed the House by a margin of 86-52. Supporters of the bill say they're confident of having the 71 votes required for passage in the lower chamber.

The trial of a Michael Poth, a now-former Marine accused of stabbing a fellow Marine during an altercation in D.C.'s Barracks Row neighborhood in April has been postponed due to complications relating to the health of Poth's attorney and the availability of potential witnesses.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Russell Canan this morning, Feb. 27, rescheduled the trial to April 8, almost a year since the incident, in which Poth, of Southeast D.C., allegedly stabbed fellow Marine Philip Bushong, of Camp Lejune, N.C. Witnesses told police that immediately prior to the stabbing Poth used homophobic slurs against Bushong, who was straight, and Bushong's gay companion. Poth has been charged with one count of second-degree murder.

As Metro Weekly previously reported, Poth's defense attorney, David Benowitz, told Canan last week that he would not be able to meet the initial trail start date of March 4 due to medical issues following surgery on his hand.

Benowitz also told Canan that an expert witness that Benowitz hopes will be able to argue that Poth's military training led him react reflexively to what he perceived as a dangerous situation.

After Benowitz asked for the continuance last week, Canan scheduled today's hearing to gauge how Benowitz was feeling and whether he could move forward.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Liebman also raised issues of readiness. While Liebman was prepared to go to trial in March, he planned to call 15 to 20 witnesses, including six Marines who interacted with Poth on the night of the stabbing. Last week, Liebman said he was unsure whether a delay in trial would affect the availability of those Marines, none of whom are still stationed at the Southeast D.C. Marine Barracks, and one, considered a ''crucial witness,'' facing possible overseas deployment in the near future.

The new media were ablaze on the evening of Feb. 22 after U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli filed a brief in United States v. Windsor asking the Supreme Court to overturn Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). He performed a quietly brutal takedown of Paul Clement's brief for the House Republicans, whose Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) has intervened to defend DOMA.

It is an historic breakthrough for the U.S. government's top courtroom attorney to urge the high court to use "heightened scrutiny" in judging the constitutionality of laws that disfavor gays and lesbians. Decades of gay-rights activism are rolled up into Verrilli's beautifully written compilation of scientific evidence, precedent and incisive argument.

Shining through the brief is an unavoidable fact – or tens of thousands of them: the legally married gay and lesbian couples in nine states and the District of Columbia. Verrilli writes:

"Section 3 of DOMA targets the many gay and lesbian people legally married under state law for a harsh form of discrimination that bears no relation to their ability to contribute to society. It is abundantly clear that this discrimination does not substantially advance an interest in protecting marriage, or any other important interest. The statute simply cannot be reconciled with the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection. The Constitution therefore requires that Section 3 be invalidated."

Having noted the states' rights provision in Section 2 (which is not under challenge), Verrilli writes, "[B]ecause Section 3 imposes no restriction on the ability of any state to provide for same-sex marriage, it does not substantially further any interest in preserving 'traditional, heterosexual' marriage." He also states, "[I]t defies reason to suggest that Section 3 makes it any more likely that heterosexual individuals will marry or raise children together."

Verrilli observes that the 1996 House Report on DOMA invoked "traditional notions of morality," then he cites Lawrence v. Texas and lowers the boom: "Moral opposition to homosexuality, though it may reflect deeply held personal views, is not a legitimate policy objective that can justify unequal treatment of gay and lesbian people.''

As of this writing, the Department of Justice has yet to decide whether to file a brief in the other marriage case, Hollingsworth v. Perry, concerning California's Prop. 8. The deadline for that is Feb. 28. Some are concerned that urging the court to establish marriage equality nationwide would push the marriage cases in an all-or-nothing direction. That could prompt "swing justice" Anthony Kennedy to back away from his egalitarian sentiments out of respect for states that are not ready to go there.

On the other hand, if the court (1) tosses out the Prop. 8 case on the grounds that Prop. 8's defenders lack standing, and (2) overturns DOMA nationwide, same-sex spouses would win federal recognition without poking opposing states in the eye. This giant step forward would quickly show the inevitability of full equality coast to coast while minimizing any backlash. If, alternatively, an all-or-nothing push leaves us with nothing, it could set back our cause by a generation.

Those who demand everything right now would be wise to remember the years of backlash that followed the rulings in Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade. A sweeping court victory would not mean that our political work is done.

If standing is denied in Perry, the District Court ruling overturning Prop. 8 would prevail; but it is unclear whether it would apply beyond the two couples in the case. California's attorney general could instruct town clerks to issue marriage licenses; how that would play out remains to be seen.

However Perry goes, we face a pivotal moment for marriage equality with a powerful ally in Solicitor General Donald Verrilli.

Richard J. Rosendall is a writer and activist. He can be reached at // .

Mayor Ed Lee this morning (Tuesday, February 26) named Katy Tang as the new District 4 supervisor representing the Sunset and Parkside neighborhoods. Tang will succeed her boss, Supervisor Carmen Chu, who as of tomorrow – Wednesday, February 27 – will be sworn in as San Francisco’s newest Assessor-Recorder. Lee had announced earlier this month [...]

Exclusive: Scores of corporations will file a Supreme Court brief favoring gay marriage later this week. Signatories will include Apple, Facebook, Intel, and Morgan Stanley.

By Roger Parloff

FORTUNE -- On Thursday, dozens of American corporations, including Apple,Alcoa, Facebook, eBay, Intel, and Morgan Stanley will submit an amicus brief in the landmark Hollingsworth v. Perry case broadly arguing to the U.S. Supreme Court that laws banning same-sex marriages, like California's ballot initiative Proposition 8, are unconstitutional under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses.

According to a draft copy obtained by Fortune, the companies argue that such laws "send an unmistakable signal that same-sex couples are in some way inferior to opposite-sex couples, a proposition that is anathema to amici's commitment to equality and fair treatment to all."

At least 60 companies had committed to signing the brief as of Tuesday evening, according to Joshua Rosenkranz, who is counsel of record on the brief and head of the Supreme Court and appellate litigation practice at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. That number is expected to rise by Thursday, however, according to Rosenkranz. Others who have already committed to sign include AIG, Becton Dickinson, Cisco, Cummins, Kimpton, Levi Strauss, McGraw Hill, NCR, Nike, Office Depot, Oracle, Panasonic, Qualcomm, and Xerox.

Though the brief adopts by reference all of the arguments of the main brief challenging the constitutionality of Prop 8â"filed last week by Theodore Olson of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and David Boies of Boies, Schiller & Flexnerâ"it also argues that "recognizing the rights of same-sex couples to marry is more than a constitutional issue. It is a business imperative."

Fleshing out that contention, the companies argue: "By singling out a group for less favorable treatment, Proposition 8 impedes businesses from achieving the market's ideal of efficient operationsâ"particularly in recruiting, hiring, and retaining talented people who are in the best position to operate at their highest capacity. Amici are competing domestically and internationally with companies inside and outside the United States in places where all couples, regardless of whether they are of the same sex, are afforded equal access to marriage."

Exclusive: Scores of corporations will file a Supreme Court brief favoring gay marriage later this week. Signatories will include Apple, Facebook, Intel, and Morgan Stanley.

By Roger Parloff

FORTUNE -- On Thursday, dozens of American corporations, including Apple,Alcoa, Facebook, eBay, Intel, and Morgan Stanley will submit an amicus brief in the landmark Hollingsworth v. Perry case broadly arguing to the U.S. Supreme Court that laws banning same-sex marriages, like California's ballot initiative Proposition 8, are unconstitutional under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses.

According to a draft copy obtained by Fortune, the companies argue that such laws "send an unmistakable signal that same-sex couples are in some way inferior to opposite-sex couples, a proposition that is anathema to amici's commitment to equality and fair treatment to all."

At least 60 companies had committed to signing the brief as of Tuesday evening, according to Joshua Rosenkranz, who is counsel of record on the brief and head of the Supreme Court and appellate litigation practice at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. That number is expected to rise by Thursday, however, according to Rosenkranz. Others who have already committed to sign include AIG, Becton Dickinson, Cisco, Cummins, Kimpton, Levi Strauss, McGraw Hill, NCR, Nike, Office Depot, Oracle, Panasonic, Qualcomm, and Xerox.

Though the brief adopts by reference all of the arguments of the main brief challenging the constitutionality of Prop 8â"filed last week by Theodore Olson of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and David Boies of Boies, Schiller & Flexnerâ"it also argues that "recognizing the rights of same-sex couples to marry is more than a constitutional issue. It is a business imperative."

Fleshing out that contention, the companies argue: "By singling out a group for less favorable treatment, Proposition 8 impedes businesses from achieving the market's ideal of efficient operationsâ"particularly in recruiting, hiring, and retaining talented people who are in the best position to operate at their highest capacity. Amici are competing domestically and internationally with companies inside and outside the United States in places where all couples, regardless of whether they are of the same sex, are afforded equal access to marriage."

"Iâm From Driftwood aims to help LGBTQ people learn more about their community, straight people learn more about their neighbors and everyone learn more about themselves through the power of storytelling and story sharing.

We accomplish this by creating an apolitical forum for LGBTQ stories from every age, race, gender, background and culture to deepen our understanding of each other, preserve our history, and open hearts and minds.

We envision a world where every lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer person feels understood and accepted, and every straight person is an ally.

There are LGBTQ stories from every corner of the Earth and the importance of each story is as unique as the stories themselves.

To the LGBTQ teens struggling to come out and come to terms with their sexuality, who to this day still attempt suicide 4 times more than straight kids, it says âyou are not alone.â Other people have dealt with similar situations, families, communities and churches, and have overcome and are now living happy lives. It can happen for you, too.

To the straight community, these stories provide an open, honest and welcoming look inside the true lives of LGBTQ people. Once you get to know more about your neighbor, I think youâll be surprised at how much more youâll get to know about yourself."

Nathan and his small team are doing important work. And they have really cool ideas for 2013 to take I'm From Driftwood to the next level and preserve all of these stories FOREVER. These stories are such an important part of who we all are! But it takes time. and money.

"Iâm From Driftwood is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible, much appreciated and help us continue to collect and share lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer stories from all over the world."

These are truly amazing times we are witnessing right now! I never thought, in my lifetime, I would see such support for gay marriage/marriage equality! WOW! Since his personal endorsement of gay marriage last spring, President Barack Obama has kept up the public support, even making a historic mention of gay rights in his inaugural addresslast month.

Polls show that by weighing in, Obama and the White House are siding with the majority of Americans.

In the last decade â" and especially in the last few years â" Americans' attitude toward gay marriage has shifted dramatically.

Right after the election in November, the Pew Research Center released a report on the perception of gay marriage over the past decade. It found that opinion has swung from staunch opposition in 2001 â" 57 percent opposed gay marriage, compared to 35 percent who were in favor â" to solid support in 2012, when 48 percent polled supported gay marriage, compared to 43 percent who were opposed. On Friday, President Obama's administration filed an historic legal brief that declares his belief to the US Supreme Court that DOMA is unconstitutional.

NBC NEWS SAID FRIDAY....The Obama administration urged the Supreme Court on Friday to throw out a section of a 1996 federal law that prohibits recognition of same-sex marriage.

The brief was filed Friday in United States v. Windsor, a case challenging Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, the law that legally declares marriage to be only between a man and a woman. That section allows state and federal authorities to deny benefits to same-sex couples that are commonplace for heterosexual couples, like insurance for government workers and Social Security survivors' benefits.

President Barack Obama announced in 2011 that the U.S. would no longer enforce DOMA, but "this is the first time the federal government has proposed that constitutional test in a gay rights case before the Supreme Court," Denniston writes. "The court itself has never specified just what constitutional standard it will apply in such cases, but it may have to settle that this term."

GLAAD SAYS ...Anderson Cooper has long been an advocate for the LGBT community. His wide range of subjects includes the bullying of LGBT youth, families supporting their transgender children, and the dangers of the so-called "ex-gay conversion therapy." For his coverage of issues relevant to the LGBT community, Anderson Cooper has received seven GLAAD Media Award nominations, and has been awarded the trophy three times.

"By sharing his own experiences as a gay man, Anderson has reminded millions of Americans that LGBT people are part of their everyday lives and an integral part of our cultural fabric," said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. "He continues to raise the bar and set a new standard for journalists everywhere, and I'm proud to call him a friend." GLAAD's 24th Gala in New York takes place March 16, 2013 at the New York Marriott Marquis.

The final key consideration is the pope's potential exposure to legal claims over the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandals.

In 2010, for example, Benedict was named as a defendant in a law suit alleging that he failed to take action as a cardinal in 1995 when he was allegedly told about a priest who had abused boys at a U.S. school for the deaf decades earlier. The lawyers withdrew the case last year and the Vatican said it was a major victory that proved the pope could not be held liable for the actions of abusive priests.

Benedict is currently not named specifically in any other case. The Vatican does not expect any more but is not ruling out the possibility.

"(If he lived anywhere else) then we might have those crazies who are filing lawsuits, or some magistrate might arrest him like other (former) heads of state have been for alleged acts while he was head of state," one source said.

This is very interesting...I read about last year and this weekend I received a letter stating , it's quite compelling and thought provoking......."Allied NATO Government is hiding millions of infectious NON HIV AIDS cases (like mine) under the "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)" ICD-code.

UK PROGRESSIVE published one of my letters about NON HIV AIDS.

This marked itâs 11th publication on 4 continents. This topic has been censored from mainstream media since 1992 (i.e., Gulf War I).

Secrets can cause so much internal damage. People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay. Try convincing yourself that your creator has the most wonderful purpose for you even though you were taught differently.

I always thought I could hide this secret. Football was my escape, my purpose, my identity. Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I could have ever imaginedâ¦ I will always be thankful for my career. I will remember Beijing, The MLS Cup, and most of all my teammates. I will never forget the friends I have made a long the way and the friends that supported me once they knew my secret.

Now is my time to step away. Itâs time to discover myself away from football. Itâs 1 A.M. in London as I write this and I could not be happier with my decision. Life is so full of amazing things. I realized I could only truly enjoy my life once I was honest. Honesty is a bitch but makes life so simple and clear. My secret is gone, I am a free man, I can move on and live my life as my creator intended.

Rogers said that fear held him back for 25 years:

For the past 25 year I have been afraid, afraid to show whom I really was because of fear. Fear that judgment and rejection would hold me back from my dreams and aspirations. Fear that my loved ones would be farthest from me if they knew my secret. Fear that my secret would get in the way of my dreams.

Dreams of going to a World Cup, dreams of The Olympics, dreams of making my family proud. What would life be without these dreams? Could I live a life without them?

Life is only complete when your loved ones know you. When they know your true feelings, when they know who and how you love. Life is simple when your secret is gone. Gone is the pain that lurks in the stomach at work, the pain from avoiding questions, and at last the pain from hiding such a deep secret.

Angelo Tsakopoulos, a close friend and top political donor to the Clintons as well as the Democratic Party, confirmed that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic candidate in the next Presidential election.

Tsakopoulos told Greek Reporter that the former Secretary of State will run for President in 2016, putting an end to speculation over whether Clinton will make a second bid for President that has been circulating around the internet and international media.

âHillary will be our next President and she will be a great one,â Tsakopoulos said at a private gala in California this past weekend.

Asked if this was confirmed by Clinton or whether itâs his personal view, he replied, âI talk to her husband, and he confirmed it. She will run.â

The Walt Disney Company appointed George A. Kalogridis as president of Walt Disney World on Friday, making him the first openly gay man to hold that position.

Kalogridis, Walt Disney Worldâs fifth president, has been with the Walt Disney Company since 1971 and served as president of Californiaâs Disneyland Resort since 2009. The 59-year-old Kalogridisâ first job with the company was bussing tables at Disney's Contemporary Resort on the Orlando property, according to South Florida Gay News. The Orlando Sentinel reported that friends and colleagues describe him as âbreathing Disney.â

"I am excited to return to my roots and have the opportunity to lead our talented Walt Disney World Resort cast," Kalogridis said in a prepared statement distributed by Disney. "I look forward to again working with my Florida-based colleagues and reconnecting with Central Florida's community and business leaders."

The Orlando Business Journal reports that Kalogridis will oversee more than 66,000 employees, which is three times the amount of people that he managed in Californiaâs Disneyland Resort. Kalogridis has replaced Meg Crofton, who recently assumed the role as president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations in the United States and France.

Kalogridis plans to make Disney World his home, both literally and figuratively. He and his partner of 12 years, Andy Hardy, are building their own little castle in Golden Oak, the luxury subdivision that Disney World is developing on the northeastern corner of its 40-square mile property.

When caught, he said, "I am wrong in having been on grindr. I havenât changed my views on homosexuality, the bible, etc.," he said to Jones. "Creating a grindr profile and talking to guys on it was major disobedience on my partâ¦.disobedience to Christ. Disobedience to a loving and gracious God. Thankfully, I believe that He forgives me for this disobedience. I believe the blood of Christ covers this disobedience. And I wonât be on grindr againâ¦.ever."

"The world of music is dramatically changing and soon the CD's will go the way of the eight track. Artists are struggling to find ways to make money and break into the big leagues.

Increasingly technology has made that effort both easier and more difficult. With the new Samsung Galaxy phones, all you have to do is tap two of them together to share play lists and no one has to pay a cent.

The failure to pay for music is hindering tons of talented people from making a living with their art.

However the Internet, like talent shows, allow artists great exposure and they can become huge sensations. They can place their music on ITUNES or other sites and not have to share profits with a large company or a team of personal advisors.

True Youtube.com sensations are becoming rarer as more people attempt it."

Iowa singer Eli Lieb has an amazing following of loyal fans. (with 8 million total YouTube views!). In a pop musical climate dominated by performers that are auditioned, packaged and produced for the publicâs easy consumption, Eli Lieb has self-produced his debut album, titled simply Eli Lieb. AND IT'S AWESOME! The collection of 10 original songs resonates with honest and touching sentiments within cinematic melodies, delivered in the spirit of uncompromising integrity. Appealing to fans of Robyn and James Blake, Eli Lieb has created something emotional and empowering. And he is now putting more songs for his second album. OUT MAGAZINE recently caught up with Eli, check it out!

Another pop star, from North Carolina originally, has also built his own brand through social media networks. Since elementary school, Isaiah Grass has had a voice that has caught the attention of many. Singing with great energy, soul and purity of sound, he has been performing in front of audiences since the age of 7.

Isaiah was discovered in the summer of 2010 by LEDOM Management Group which happened to come across Isaiah's photographs in Facebook. By late 2010, LEDOM Group became his managing company as a model and during late 2011 - LEDOM Enterprises signed him as a singer.

His debut single, "Iâm a Freak", was released worldwide on 01/11/11, becoming an internet hit with nearly 100,000 views in less than a month through his website. His second and third singles were acoustic songs with also a remarkable acceptance by his fans.

When asked about the future of his career, he gives a confident outlook on what he truly feels he has the ability to achieve; a music career working with the most talented and respected artists, a modeling career that breaks down barriers and inspires all to love themselves for who they are.

The dog dumped at a Tennessee animal shelter to be destroyed because his owner thought it was gay has been saved at the last minute by a kindhearted animal lover.

After the the plight of the American Bulldog mix was seen by millions online, Stephanie Fryns, a veterinary technician from Jackson, stepped up this afternoon and adopted him from Jackson TN Euthanasia.

Naming him Elton, Fryns, who already owns four dogs said that she had planned to rescue him even before his story had traveled around the Internet.

He was dumped there because according to the owner of the shelter, the dog's master noticed him 'hunched over' another male dog, which led him to assume he was gay.

Yesterday a Facebook user became of aware of his plight after seeing his picture on the shelter's timeline and contacted Jackson TN Euthanasia to discover the reason why he had been left there to be destroyed.

'His owner threw him away bc he refuses to have a 'gay' dog!' wrote a user who calls herself 'Jackson Madison Rabies Control Stalker'.

'Don't let this gorgeous dog die [because] his owner is ignorant of normal dog behavior! He's in kennel 10L and he WILL be put down tomorrow bc there is no room at the inn!'

Following an outcry over the Internet numerous people including Stephanie Fryns arrived at the shelter this morning to adopt the unloved dog.

WindmeyerWindmeyer says Cathy called him out of the blue and began an extensive dialogue of trust-filled exchanges.

Chick-fil-A allegedly provided access to internal documents related to the funding of anti-LGBT groups, to Shane. "This past week Chick-fil-A shared with me the 2011 IRS Form 990, filed in November for the WinShape Foundation, along with 2012 financials. The IRS has not released the 990 to the public yet, but the financials affirm Chick-fil-A's values a year prior to the controversy this past July. The nearly $6 million in outside grant funding focuses on youth, education, marriage enrichment and local communities. The funding reflects Chick-fil-A's promised commitment not to engage in "political or social debates," and the most divisive, anti-LGBT groups are no longer listed.

Even as Campus Pride and so many in the community protested Chick-fil-A and its funding of groups like Family Research Council, Eagle Forum and Exodus International, the funding of these groups had already stopped. Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A could have noted this publicly earlier. Instead, they chose to be patient, to engage in private dialogue, to reach understanding,and to share proof with me when it was official. There was no "caving"; there were no "concessions." There was, in my view, conscience." I think Chick-fil-A has stopped giving $6 million + to those groups, banking on the fact they can increase sales with gay people!

I am still not buying it. I want to see Dan Cathy make donations to GLAAD, the TREVOR PROJECT, PFLAG, GMHC and other LGBT groups, maybe then, I will consider letting down my guard.

UPDATE!!! 1-30-2013

Mainstream media outlets are echoing a report that the fast food giant Chick-fil-A has allegedly ceased its donations to anti-gay organizations and causes. In reality, the majority of the company's anti-gay donations remain unchanged.

But even if Windmeyer's claim that Chick-fil-A has stopped funding the most extreme anti-gay groups is true, the company would only have reduced its anti-gay donations by less than one percent.

As Equality Matters reported last year, Chick-fil-A donated $1.9 million to anti-gay groups in 2010 alone through WinShape Foundation. The majority of that money went to groups like the Marriage & Family Foundation, the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes, and the National Christian Foundation.

Marriage & Family Foundation: $1,188,380

Fellowship Of Christian Athletes: $480,000

National Christian Foundation: $247,500

New Mexico Christian Foundation: $54,000

Exodus International: $1,000

Family Research Council: $1,000

Georgia Family Council: $2,500

Windmeyer essentially admitted that Chick-fil-A would continue giving money to those groups in an interview with The Advocate:

Former 49ers and Raiders offensive tackle Kwame Harris, who was arrested at a restaurant in Menlo Park on Aug. 21 after allegedly assaulting his ex-boyfriend was charged with felony abuse Monday, according to San Mateo County prosecutors. Harris pleaded not guilty.

Chief Deputy Dist. Atty. Karen Guidotti told the San Mateo Daily Journal that Harris and the alleged victim had been in a romantic relationship but were not involved at the time of the incident. Harrisâ attorney, Alin Cintean, told the newspaper the two "were previously involved."

Harris and Dimitri Geier were having dinner before Harris was to drive Geier to San Francisco International Airport. During dinner, Geier poured soy sauce on a plate of rice, angering Harris. When the two went to get Geier's belongings from Harris' car, Harris accused Geier of stealing his underwear and tried pulling his pants down.

Geier tried to get away, and Harris allegedly shook him and punched him in the face. Geier had to have surgery to repair broken orbital bones in his face. Harris claims Geier punched him first.

âThis really is a pure self-defense case. He was attacked,â Cintean said.

For more than 4,000 years, coconut water has been revered as a natural source of nutrition, wellness, beauty and hydration. In times of famine and war, coconut water has been used as an intravenous fluid and saved many lives. Itâs the only natural substance that can be safely injected into the human blood stream. Now modern science has validated its effectiveness, especially as a natural sports drink.

ZICO contains the five electrolytes that support your body with what it needs to stay hydrated and perform at your best. One ZICO has more potassium than a banana â" 15 times more than most sports drinks â" to prevent cramping. Drink ZICO before or during a workout for the natural energy you need for optimal performance. After a workout, ZICO replenishes and re-hydrates you to aide recovery.

A friend of mine said he did not care for the taste of coconut water. I told him to add it to his after work out protein shake. Now, he loves it! Heck, you can even make a cocktail out of it and use it a mixer! Goes great with vodka.

Over indulge at last nights cocktail party? Coconut Water may just be what your body needs to help it recover from the night of adult beverage consumption and here is why.

Keep in mind that after a long night of drinking the body is drained of vital fluids and nutrients. This is due to the fact that alcohol is a diuretic and will deplete the nutrients in your body in a very short amount of time. Coconut water offers the fluids and nutrients that need to be replaced as soon as possible.

WOW! Finally! The Boy Scouts are finally caving to pressure, to change their ways!

As early as next week, the Boy Scouts of America may announce it will allow gay Scouts and troop leaders, a spokesman for the group has told USA TODAY.

The Boys Scouts have been losing funding left and right over the last year.

If this policy shift is approved by the national board meeting next week, it will be a sharp reversal of the Scouts' decades' old national policy banning homosexuals.

"The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue," BSA spokesman Deron Smith said in a statement to USA TODAY.

The announcement comes after a campaign to change the policy that lasted more than a year and garnered more than 1.2 million online signatures at Chang.org, according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), an advocacy group.

"The Girl Scouts, 4H Clubs and the U.S. military are fully inclusive, and that's what we need from the Boy Scouts of America," GLAAD said. "Until then there will be young people out there who are harmed by this."

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